‘Floatel’ sinks in Mexican waters, no injuries

A floating hotel (or “floatel”) used to house Mexican offshore workers sank in the Gulf of Mexcio on Tuesday after an open valve flooded the vessel’s pontoons, according to AFP.

The platform went down off the coast of Ciudad del Carmen in the Bay of Campeche, on Mexico’s southern coast in the Gulf of Mexico. The water is roughly 38 meters deep, meaning the 50-meter-wide platform is still partially above water.

The incident was first reported around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, which led to the evacuation of 638 workers to a nearby platform.

When attempts to pump out the water failed the rest of the crew was evacuated.

The floatel, which is owned by Cotemar and managed by PEP, has 2,075 barrels of diesel stored in the pontoons and 82 barrels of jet fuel stored in containers on the deck. In a statement Pemex said there did not appear to be any signs of leakage.

(Yes, we are aware that many in the industry call such facilities “flotels,” but since the platform doesnt’ “flot” but rather “floats,” I chose to spell it “floatel.”)

Crews are investigating the platform for causes of the accident and possible salvage.